Google Docs essentially offers a Microsoft Word suite, for free, online, in the cloud. Rather than read a lot of description, this video helps you understand what it is about. Terminology is a little confusing in that Google Docs talks about the suite of programs (Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Forms, and Drawing), but sometimes one hears Google Docs when one is talking about the word processing application, Documents. This segment is about Google Docs: Documents. Google Docs: Spreadsheets, Google Docs: Presentation, Google Docs: Forms, etc. will be covered in following sessions.
Another term sometimes used is Google Apps. Google Apps are special accounts set up for schools, businesses, non-profits, etc., that offer Google Docs in a subset of the larger Google community that is associated with the organization that has set up a Google Apps account. Many school systems are setting up Google Apps accounts that provide a great deal of service for free. The commitment these schools have made is the reason for coverage in our classes at Johnson. If your school is not using Google Apps, you can establish a Google Apps site by purchasing a domain for $10/year, as I have done with tonykrug.info. You can control the site and oversee how students use accounts you assign from within this site, but you still will need to get approval from your administration and send home permission slips to the parents of any children less than 13 years of age.
While the video above (second paragraph) is directed at educational applications, the concern at this point is less using Google Docs with students than using it yourself. Whether you use Google Docs or Google Apps, knowing how to use the applications found there is important. Clearly the collaborative aspects are potentially significant as you do group work throughout your graduate experience here at Johnson. If you want a more detailed instruction set there are Atomic Learning tutorials for Documents.
Performance Record Compare the word processing function to whatever word processor(s) you have used in the past. What are strengths and weaknesses of Google Docs as a word processor in that comparison? (Be sure you try collaborating with your lab partner on a shared document, so that you know how to do it and can see how it works.) Post your reflections as a reply to the "Documents" topic under the GAIN-CPED5300 discussion board at Google Groups. Lesson Plans
Google Docs essentially offers a Microsoft Word suite, for free, online, in the cloud. Rather than read a lot of description, this video helps you understand what it is about. Terminology is a little confusing in that Google Docs talks about the suite of programs (Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Forms, and Drawing), but sometimes one hears Google Docs when one is talking about the word processing application, Documents. This segment is about Google Docs: Documents. Google Docs: Spreadsheets, Google Docs: Presentation, Google Docs: Forms, etc. will be covered in following sessions.
Another term sometimes used is Google Apps. Google Apps are special accounts set up for schools, businesses, non-profits, etc., that offer Google Docs in a subset of the larger Google community that is associated with the organization that has set up a Google Apps account. Many school systems are setting up Google Apps accounts that provide a great deal of service for free. The commitment these schools have made is the reason for coverage in our classes at Johnson. If your school is not using Google Apps, you can establish a Google Apps site by purchasing a domain for $10/year, as I have done with tonykrug.info. You can control the site and oversee how students use accounts you assign from within this site, but you still will need to get approval from your administration and send home permission slips to the parents of any children less than 13 years of age.
While the video above (second paragraph) is directed at educational applications, the concern at this point is less using Google Docs with students than using it yourself. Whether you use Google Docs or Google Apps, knowing how to use the applications found there is important. Clearly the collaborative aspects are potentially significant as you do group work throughout your graduate experience here at Johnson. If you want a more detailed instruction set there are Atomic Learning tutorials for Documents.
Performance Record
Compare the word processing function to whatever word processor(s) you have used in the past. What are strengths and weaknesses of Google Docs as a word processor in that comparison? (Be sure you try collaborating with your lab partner on a shared document, so that you know how to do it and can see how it works.) Post your reflections as a reply to the "Documents" topic under the GAIN-CPED5300 discussion board at Google Groups.
Lesson Plans
Elementary
All subjects - "Learning New Vocabulary the Collaborative Way" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_54k4wx4rhk Language Arts - "Book Buddies" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_9xf7ftmgs Language Arts - "Historical Novel" - __https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_3d986mbc9__ Language Arts - "Making Predictions in Reading" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_51chgfp8hqLanguage Arts - "Reader's Workshop Online Activities" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_33dtk9b2fs Language Arts - "School News" - Lerman & Hicks, page 256Mathematics - "A Day at the Beach" - Lerman & Hicks, page 230Science - "Consumer Product Testing Experiment" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_16gqknnhgcScience - "Erosion" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_5cv7wwfd6Science - "7 Wonders of Nature" - __https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_39fb5fkbfp__ Social Studies - State Research - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_53c9nj85gr
Middle School All subjects - "Learning New Vocabulary the Collaborative Way" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_54k4wx4rhk
Language Arts - "Class Collection of Book Reviews" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_11f3xhprfn
Language Arts - "Group Memoirs" - Lerman & Hicks, page 288
Language Arts - "Historical Novel" - __https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_3d986mbc9__
Language Arts - "Reader's Workshop Online Activities" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_33dtk9b2fs
Science - "Consumer Product Testing Experiment" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_16gqknnhgc
Science - "Erosion" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_5cv7wwfd6Science - "7 Wonders of Nature" - __https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_39fb5fkbfp__
Social Studies - "Candidate Watch" - Lerman & Hicks, page 279
Social Studies - "State Research" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_53c9nj85gr
High SchoolArts - "A Place in Time" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_2drskzxf3 Language Arts - "Class Collection of Book Reviews" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_11f3xhprfn Language Arts - "Historical Novel" - __https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_3d986mbc9__ Language Arts - "Writing for Context, Audience, and Purpose" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_12gr8ncdg5 Science - "Consumer Product Testing Experiment" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_16gqknnhgcSocial Studies - "Candidate Watch" - Lerman & Hicks, page 316Social Studies - "Election Central" - Lerman & Hicks, page 319
Social Studies - "The Great Immigration Debate" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_18hmtcr5cs
Social Studies - "Outbreak" - https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_4gv4sxtcf Social Studies - "Road Trip" - Lerman & Hicks, page 348
Staff Development"Gone Googlin'" - https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AZAOHQcS-cAeZGR2NDl2a3RfNTJkbWN6Mmhocg&hl=en -